Stopwatch
by Jena Rink
Summary: In a matter of hours, your life can completely change. For Jude Harrison's life, it took two days. Two days that would change her life forever. Jommy, duh. Kwestsadie, Jamiepatsy, etc. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Stopwatch

By Jena Rink

August 1, 2006

I don't own instant star…

This isn't a one shot. No worries.

The sun reflected off the trees and into the windows of the Harrison household, making 34 year old Jude Harrison blink, groaning as she sat up and glanced around her, noticing her two 16 year old daughters on either side of her, fast asleep, their brown hair around them. They looked like angels. She smiled to herself, and glanced at the clock. 9 am. Four hours before the flight. No matter how angelic they looked she had to wake them up.

"Kia, Audrey…"Jude said softly, shaking their shoulders, and they both groaned, sitting up and staring at the tv in the corner, stuck on the menu of some romantic comedy they had rented the night before.

"Ugh…"Kia moaned, brushing her hair out of her eyes and turning to face her mother.

"Mom, you do know it's Saturday right?" she groaned, and Jude nodded.

"I thought you guys wanted to go shopping in New York like we planned…I could always change my mind.."Jude said, and they both sat up quickly.

"You want breakfast mom?" Audrey asked, and Jude nodded tiredly, picking up empty cartons of Ben and Jerrys and grabbing for the phone when it started to ring.

"Hello?" she asked tiredly, throwing them in the trash before she started down the stairs, putting her hair up with one hand.

"Hey Jude…"someone sang, and she rolled her eyes.

"Hello Sexy Sadie…"she said, sitting down at the counter as her twin daughters bustled about the kitchen, making her scrambled eggs.

"How are you?" Sadie asked honestly, making a motion for everyone in the studio to be quiet.

"I'm good…we're driving into New York today for a girls week, so that should be fun…"Jude said, unaware she was on speaker phone.

"That sounds awesome…tell the girls I say Happy Birthday…I just wanted to call and say hi…"Sadie said, and Jude frowned, glancing at her wedding ring on her finger.

"We're fine, Sadie…"she said softly, and Sadie groaned.

"I just, I know it's been a year, Jude…and…"

"Yeah, well…"Jude trailed off, glancing at the girls, who were amidst a flour fight in the kitchen, laughing hysterically.

"You should come home…"Sadie said suddenly, and Jude bit her lip.

"No, I'm fine here, and so are Kia and Audrey…we like it here…it's safer here and it's far away from my cheating ex-husband…"she said, and the girls froze, staring at her, concerned.

"Jude…he's torn up…" Sadie started.

"Oh really, you can tell him to fuck off…"she said, sinking into a chair, Kia and Audrey sitting on either side of her.

"Jude…" Sadie started again, and she shook her head.

"He's the one that ended it…Sades..whatever losses he's procured are entirely his fault…okay? We've gotta go…we have a plane to catch…"she said dismissively.

Matt had been perfect. A new recruit of Darius', and Jude's new manager. They'd hit it off, despite the fact that Jude was already pregnant when they met, and were married a year later. Fifteen years later she'd been shocked to discover he'd been having an affair for the last five years of their marriage, and abruptly cut it off.

"Jude, don't hang up…"she did just that, staring at the phone on the counter.

"J shaped pancakes? Just like Grandma makes 'em?" Kia asked uncertainly, and Jude nodded, putting her head in her hands.

"He's not even our real dad, mom…"Audrey assured her, "It's not like we care…"she added, and Jude sighed.

"Why don't you go put our stuff downstairs, okay? And I'll grab the tickets while Kia finishes up…"Jude said, and Audrey gave her a long hug.

"I love you mom…"she said softly, taking off up the staircase in what had become their home over the last year.

Pictures littered the walls. Of Audrey playing the piano, playing soccer, and Kia singing and playing the guitar, and basketball. Of Jude and them at various places, seeing as they home schooled and traveled frequently. Pictures of them in London, Paris, Rome, Ireland, New York, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean, smiles on their faces. A special vacation to Disneyland, and the most recent to Australia.

Jude had tried her best to distract them with the traveling since the divorce. They'd seen almost everywhere before settling down in Vancouver a few months earlier.

And now they were off to New York again, just for fun. Jude tried to do that as much as possible, as well as not spoiling the girls. Too much. They were her everything.

"Mom, breakfast is ready!" Kia called, serving her a plate full of pancakes.

"You're my hero, Ki…"Jude murmered, digging into it as the phone rang again.

"ugh…"she groaned, and reached for it, clicking it on and pressing it to her ear.

"Jesus Sadie we already had this discussion!" she said, annoyed, and paused, her eyes widening.

"Say what?" she whispered, confused, and waited a moment.

"Wait…I was on my way to New York already…but I don't see…"her face paled.

"I'll call you when I get there…okay? We're staying at the Marquis…but…"she trailed off again.

"No, I'll be there…"she murmured, and hung up, her girls gazing at her expectantly.

"What's up, mom?" Kia asked finally, and Jude fought back tears.

"N-Nothing..I'll tell you when we get to New York, okay?" Jude whispered, and finished up her pancakes quickly, putting her dish in the dishwasher.

"Jake, we'll be back on Thursday night…"Kia said, grinning, a faint blush staining her cheeks.

"I'll miss you too, babe.. "she hung up, and giggled slightly, sliding her sunglasses on and glancing around the airport. Meanwhile, Audrey pushed her reading glasses further up her nose and continued to write in her journal, their difference in styles completely apparent.

Kia was in a pair of dark wash jeans, a cardigan, and a pink lace shirt, and various accessories, while Audrey was in a park of black pedal pushers, high heels, a white button up shirt, a guitar pick around her neck, and white flip flops, engrossed in her writing.

"Welcome to United Airlines Fight 4420, with non-stop service to New York City…please sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight…" Jude glanced at her daughters, Kia, who was reading a magazine, and Audrey, who was still scribbling into her notebook, biting her lip every so often and probably mouthing a melody for the words she was writing.

Audrey had always been pure Jude, calm sometimes but also with a fiery temper, always writing out her feelings in songs and strumming the guitar constantly. Kia, on the other hand, was pure cool. Completely popular, with boys following her left and right, a fashion sense, and intense blue eyes. Tommy's blue eyes. Jude sighed, and stared out the window. When had things gotten so complicated?

_She was angry. As anyone would be at this point. She stared at him in defiance, crossing her arms in anger, as if daring him to try and explain his departure. _

_"Jude…"he said, shocked to see her there, she moved further into the room, and sat down on the first available chair she could, her eyes glaring daggers into him._

_"Surprised to see me?" she asked, and he glanced around him._

_"How did you find me?" she lost it, and walked forward, slapping him._

_"That's all you can say to me?" she asked, and he massaged his cheek angrily, staring at her in shock._

_"Hello to you to…"he said, wincing._

_"I deserve to be able to hit you…I hate you…"she breathed angrily,"What gives you the right to show up like this…it's my birthday…"she whispered, "And I have to walk out there any second and pretend that nothing is wrong! You're such a jack…"he pulled me into a kiss, and I leant into it, my arms wrapping around his neck. _

_"Go away…"I groaned, pulling away, my hand over my mouth._

_"Go out there…"he told me,"We can talk later…"I paused at the doorway, my eyes meeting his._

_"And girl?" I turned around, still straightening my dress, my eyes meeting his._

_"Happy Birthday…"he breathed, and I nodded, making my grand entrance as they announced my name._

_"Here's the girl of the hour…Jude Harrison!" Kwest announced, as I appeared and took my bow, grabbing my guitar and sitting down on the stool provided, nodding to Speid to start the song._

_He nodded, and started his guitar beat._

_**Good Morning**_

_**Here's a story**_

_**Of a girl that you once knew**_

_**She was unsure**_

_**And afraid**_

_**Of what waited anew**_

_**She was played with**_

_**She was tossed around **_

_**And she got hurt**_

_**She fell**_

_**Hit the Ground**_

_**Now she's stronger**_

_**Now she's higher**_

_**She's not for you**_

_**Anymore**_

_**Without you**_

_**The sun rises higher**_

_**Without you**_

_**The star is brighter**_

_**Without you**_

_**I can try so hard to be**_

_**A better part of me**_

_**A better part of me**_

_**Now the girl she**_

_**Had a secret**_

_**She loved you more**_

_**Than she can say**_

_**But you walked off**_

_**And you left her**_

_**Her heart has crashed**_

_**It fell away**_

_**Now she's stronger**_

_**Now she's higher**_

_**She's not for you**_

_**Anymore**_

_**Without you**_

_**The sun rises higher**_

_**Without you**_

_**The star is brighter**_

_**Without you**_

_**I can try so hard to be**_

_**A better part of me**_

_**A better part of me**_

_**Is something you can't see**_

_**Won't let you in to find it**_

_**Afraid that you'll kill me**_

_**So stay the hell away**_

_**There's nothing more to say**_

_**I hate you more each day**_

_**But I miss you**_

_**Without you**_

_**The sun can't rise**_

_**Without you**_

_**The star just dies**_

_**And yet I try so hard to be**_

_**A better part of me**_

_**The part you couldn't see**_

_I finished, setting down my guitar, and gave a bow, walking off stage and hugging Kwest and Sadie, who were waiting for me._

_"That's gonna kill…" Kwest commented, and I shrugged, my eyes sparkling._

_"What can I say?" I asked, my eyes sparkling, and took the drink Sadie handed to me._

_"I sincerely hope you're driving…"I told her, downing the shot, my eyes meeting Tommy's in a challenge, raising an eyebrow, and walking out to find Patsy._

_"Is little Miss Harrison getting drunk?" she asked, and I shrugged, taking the drink she handed me and chugging it down._

_"Pretty boy is here.."I told her, using our nickname for Tommy, and grabbing her hands in mine, dancing with her provocatively._

_"I completely allow you to use my girlfriend in that fashion…"Jamie said, walking up, and I shot him a disgusted look._

_"Jamie, gross…"I muttered, and pulled him in front of me, dancing with him as well._

_"See, it's a Jude sandwich…"I grinned. _

_"Jude.." God, he looked mad. I glanced over at him, my eyebrows raised, switching positions with Patsy so we were both grinding into Jamie._

"_Can I help you?" I asked him, and glanced at Jamie apologetically as he dragged me to him, dancing with me against the remixed beat of one of my songs._

"_You're making me jealous.."he said into my ear, and I shivered unconsciously._

"_Aw, I'm sorry Quincy…"I said sarcastically, grinding back into him, reaching my hands up to grab his in mine._

"_Feel better?" I asked him seductively, turning around to face him. _

"_Maybe.."he said softly, holding me close as a slow song came on._

"_So I'm no longer off limits…how does that make you feel?" I asked him bluntly, and he stared at me in astonishment. _

"_Do you want me to answer that?" he asked, as Portia came up to us._

"_Jude…we need you…"I glanced back at Tommy as we left, winking at him. He stared at me, wide eyed, until we walked around the corner into an empty studio and I burst into giggles._

"_Oh, he's shocked..this is great…"I breathed, and she shook her head, smiling._

"_Ready for the cake?" she asked, and I nodded, going and standing by the large guitar shaped cake, blowing out the candles after everyone sang. _

"_Thanks guys! Have a great night!" I yelled over the music, winking at Darius as they handed me the first piece of cake, walking back into the crowd and sitting down next to my dad._

"_Don't have too much fun…"he reminded her, and I laughed softly._

"_I won't dad…thanks for coming…"I said sincerely, and felt Tommy behind me._

"_You two have fun…" Dad said, as Tommy took my hand._

"_Hey…"he said softly, pulling me close to him as another slow song came on._

"_Do you think it's weird we haven't talked yet?" I asked him finally, tilting my head up to face his._

"_I want to explain this to you the right way…"he said into my ear, and I nodded._

"_Chrome Cat…later?"I offered, and he nodded. _

"_Midnight, okay?" he said, and I nodded at him._

"_I have to mingle…but…I'll see you?" I questioned, biting my lip, and he nodded, watching me walk back into the party._

_I glanced at my watch nervously, opening the now fixed door to the Chrome Cat, my eyes lighting up once I opened the door._

"_Oh my god…"I breathed, glancing at the now renovated club, my eyes meeting Tommy's hesitantly._

"_Happy Birthday…"he said, grinning, and kissed my forehead._

"_You ready to explain, Tommy?" I asked, and he nodded silently, leading me over to the couch and sitting next to me, grabbing my hands in his._

"_That day, at the concert.."he started softly, and closed his eyes tightly._

"_It's okay…"I offered lightly, and leant my head against his shoulder, "Despite my better judgment, I trust you…"_

"_The guy that I walked out with…he's my brother…Anthony…" he explained._

"_Why…"_

"_My sister…"he trailed off, glancing at his hands._

"_Tommy.."I said, worried,"Whatever it is you can tell me…I promise…" I squeezed his hands._

"_She was dying…there was an accident…and…her will left me with a lot of responsibility…"he trailed off, and I hugged him tightly._

"_Meaning…"I pressed softly, and he glanced up at me._

"_Charity…my niece…" he said, and I nodded, my eyes wide._

"_You're her guardian now?" I realized, and he nodded._

"_I had to tie up loose ends down there before I could come up here to see you…"he said honestly,"I wanted to see Sarah before she…"he couldn't go on, and I nodded, hugging him tightly._

"_I understand.."I said softly, pulling back and glancing at him, tracing his cheekbones with my fingers._

"_Jude I'm so sorry it had to happen this way…I never meant to hurt you…the last thing I wanted to do was leave you here…"he said quietly, and kissed my cheek. I moved my lips at the last minute, catching his in a soft kiss._

"_You're making it really hard to hate you…"I told him, kissing across his jawline,"Are you going to deny this?" I added, and he shook his head._

"_Not a chance in hell…"he breathed, and leant back into me, kissing me again, rotating us so he was ontop of me on the couch, his arms on either side of my head._

"_Mmmm…"I moaned, when he moved down to the collar of my dress, nipping at my collar bone._

"_You're perfect…"he told me, and I flushed. _

_When he reached for the zipper of my dress, and met his eyes and nodded, my hands working nimbly on his dress shirt, sliding it off his shoulders and exposing his smooth chest to me, my breath catching in my throat. _

"_Come on…"he grabbed my hand, my dress hanging loosely on my shoulders as he guided me to a pile of pillows._

"_How long have you been working on this?" I asked him breathlessly, and he smiled._

"_Since I left…"he murmured against my shoulder, laying me down gently and returning his attention to my dress, sliding the straps off my shoulders and following it with kisses._

"_It's the best present ever…"I breathed, as he unclasped my bra._

"_I love you…"he whispered, and I sighed, glancing up at him in shock._

"_Tommy…"I whispered in shock, and he kissed my fingers._

"_I love you…"he repeated, and I groaned softly._

"_I love you too…"I admitted, and pulled him closer to me, resting his head on my chest, breathing heavily._

"_We're wearing too many clothes…"I whispered in his ear, and kissed him again, working on his belt._

"_So are you…" he said quietly, sliding my dress down my hips._

"_There's no going back after this…you know that…"he breathed, and kissed my forehead again._

"_I know…"I whispered, kissing him gently._

"_I want to move up here…get a house…you'd be okay with that?" he asked me afterwords, my whole body in a haze._

"_Of course…"I whispered softly, trailing my fingers down his arm gently, kissing his shoulder._

_"I have to go back for a week…and then I'll be back…"he promised me later that day, his bag under his arm. I kissed him chastely on the cheek, and grabbed his hands, glancing up at him._

_"Then you'll be back…I love you…"I kissed him, and he sighed softly._

_"I love you too girl…"he glanced at me one last time before he got on the plane. The last time I ever saw him._

The accident was a shock to everyone. As was his will. Which was more of a shock to me than anyone.

"In the event of my death or hospitalization, A Miss Jude Harrison will be in charge of my assets, personal or otherwise. This includes my niece Charity Quincy…" I dropped my head into my hands, letting out a soft cry.

It was so hard to hate him. And Charity. When she arrived at my house finally, midway through my pregnancy, she was staring up at me through little chocolate colored chubby fingers, her bright blue eyes apprehensive.

"You're Jude?" she asked softly, and she nodded, lifting her into her lap.

"Hi, sweetie…"she said, and Charity hid her head in her hands, shy.

"Oh, sweetie…you're gonna be fine…you're Uncle trusted me a lot…"I had said helplessly, and she stared at me, confused. How was I supposed to handle the twins if I couldn't even handle Charity?

"Are you gonna leave me?" she questioned softly, and I shook my head.

"Charity, I'll never leave you…I promise…"I told her, rubbing her back gently.

"Pwomise?" she breathed, and I laughed softly, twisting one of her curls in my fingers.

"I promise…"I told her again, kissing her forehead.

Having three girls was a challenge in itself. And here we were, sixteen years later, Charity at NYU, majoring in Music Production and Writing, and the girls with me.

The phone rang as we got off the plane, and I sighed, glancing at Charity's picture on the screen.

"Hey, Chair…"I said softly, and she sighed.

"You here?" she asked quietly, and I nodded.

"Just look for us at the arrivals gate, okay?" I asked, as Kia and Audrey pulled me along, Kia taking out her cellphone to chat with Jake again.

"Don't stay on too long, Ki, the roaming charges…"I told her, and she nodded, flouncing off towards the baggage claim.

"Do they know?" Charity asked, and I could here her sadness through the phone.

"No, they don't…what am I supposed to say Chair?" I asked her tiredly, running a hand through my hair.

"I understand…" Charity responded, as I grabbed my bag off the conveyor belt.

I closed my phone when I saw her, and she ran over, hugging me tightly.

"Hey…"she said warmly, and I hugged her tightly.

"It's great to see you Chair…"I told her, and she smiled.

"You too…"she breathed, pulling away to hug Kia and Audrey.

"Hi girls…"she told them, and handed me the keys to her Hummer, all of us walking out to parking, my head swimming.

"Girls, is it okay if Chair and I go into the studio for a little bit? You two can shop…walk around…just be careful…"I told them, dropping them off with our bags and putting my head in my hands as soon as we pulled away.

"The studio?" Charity asked me, and I sighed, turning to face her, starting the car up again and driving towards the hospital, my hands shaking.

We pulled up in front of the large building, and I glanced up at it with trepidation.

"God…I'm so nervous…"I whispered, and she squeezed my hand.

"We'll be fine…"she breathed, and we entered the lobby, finding the right floor, and getting in the elevator. It was nerve wracking. When we got off, the receptionist knew who we were.

"Miss Harrison, Miss Quincy…it'll be just one moment…Dr. Harms wishes to talk to you…"she said stonily, and we glanced at eachother.

"Oh, Jude…I'm Dr. Harms…and you must be Charity…"he told Charity, who nodded tiredly.

"There's some things I wish to talk to you about his condition…Mr. Quincy is awake…however some details…"my heart fell into my stomach. He was WHAT? Oh god. Oh, my God…I felt tears sting my cheeks numbly, and felt Charity pull me into a hug.

"Miss Harrison, do you need to sit down?" the doctor asked kindly, and I shook my head.

"I need to see him…"I breathed, and followed the doctor into the room, Charity in tow.

He was facing the window. His profile just as I remembered. I started shaking, and Charity held me steady as I started crying.

So? Question? Cute? I hope so. Sad? I should think so!


	2. Chapter 2

Stopwatch, part two

Consciousness

By Jena Rink

_Conciousness of things around you is an important thing in life. It can show you how someone is hurting you, open your eyes to new experiences, and give you reasons to make big decisions. It can show you your husband is cheating, show you the beauty that comes from hate, such as Audrey, Kia, and Charity, and show you the light at the end of the horizon. Everything happens for a reason right? _

My legs gave out from under me, and I dimly felt his arms around my waist, supporting me. He was always there in one form or another.

"We don't want you to lose consciousness too, girl…"he said quietly, his eyes searching mine, and I choked back a sob, smacking him in the arm.

"That's not funny Tommy…"I buried my head in his chest, hugging him tightly, and he glanced down at me again.

"You look good…"he said gently, brushing a tear off my cheek, and I glanced down, my cheeks pink. He always turned me into a babbling idiot.

"You do too…"I breathed, and hugged him again.

"You can let go, girl, I'm not going anywhere…"he assured me, and I sighed.

He didn't remember anything near the accident. Or within a year of the accident. He obviously didn't remember him leaving, and he obviously didn't remember Charity, who was still standing awkwardly by the door.

"I feel like if I let go of you you're gonna disappear…"I told him honestly, and he kissed the top of my head.

"I won't…"he whispered lightly, pulling me close to him.

"16 years, huh? Anything interesting happen while I was asleep?" he asked me, and I shrugged.

"Kwest and Sadie got married…so did Jamie and Patsy…"I offered, and his eyes widened.

"Kwest and Sadie…."he said, shaking his head, and I nodded.

"My release party…" I explained, and his eyes met mine, although he was seeing something he shouldn't be.

_"So that's it, you're not coming back? Tommy! TOMMY?" she screamed, putting a hand over her mouth. He could see her crying in the review mirror, and would have done anything in that moment to be able to turn around and go back to her. But he couldn't._

He shook his head.

"Nothing…I just…it's nothing…"he whispered, and grabbed my hands in his.

"You still singing?" he asked me honestly, and I shrugged.

"All good things come to an end…"I said lightly, and Charity cleared her throat.

"Tommy this is your niece Charity…"I explained, and she shook his hand.

"Hi…"he said, flabbergasted with all the information he was getting.

"The doctor said you could stay with me Tommy…"I mentioned, and he nodded vaguely. Something was up with him. And I was going to find out what it was. While somehow keeping my daughter's from realizing I'd brought home their father, and vice versa. This was going to be difficult.

Two hours later, we were in front of my hotel room.

"My daughter's are a handful…"I warned him, and he nodded.

"Jude, who…"

"Just some guy…it's not important…"I said softly, and he nodded, accepting my answer for the time being, as I opened the door.

"Mom, you're back…with a guy?" Kia said interested, and I glanced at Tommy.

"This is Tommy…he's an old friend…just…don't annoy him, okay Kia?" I told her seriously, and Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Crap mom…this is Tommy Quincy?" she said, "The guy Aunt Sadie used to idolize in high school?"

"Something like that…just call me Tommy…"he said,shaking her hand, and Audrey poked her head out the door, her eyes meeting mine.

"Hi mom…" she said, and took in Quincy, her eyes narrowed.

"Oh, Audrey this is Tom Quincy…an old friend of mine…he's gonna be staying with us…"she nodded, distracted, and closed her door again, leaning against it.

Audrey saw the way her mom looked at Tommy Quincy. Sort of a fear combined with longing. Who was he? She was going to find out. She grabbed her laptop, and sat down, signing into the internet and typing up Tom Quincy and Jude Harrison, waiting impatiently.

There was about 13,000 results, and she nodded, interested. The good thing about having a famous mom was being able to look up all her juicy details, whether they were real or false, online.

She clicked on an article, curious, and read it, her heart dropping into her stomach.

**_READING OF FORMER PRODUCER'S WILL TO PUT LOAD OF RESPONSIBILITY ON PROTÉGÉ's SHOULDERS-_**

_Late today, a press release was made from GMajor studios concerning the future of Jude Harrison. Ms. Harrison, 18 years old, was the sole beneficiary of the will of her producer Tommy Quincy, formerly of Boyz Attack Fame. Mr. Quincy, who has been in a coma for the past six months, gave everything he owned to Ms. Harrison, including the custody of a Ms. Charity Quincy, his niece, whom he was the guardian of following her parent's death in a car crash. No further details were given, but it seemed Ms. Harrison was trying to hide the small bump on her stomach. Recently she's been spotted about the town with a Mr. Matthew James, her new producer. We'll keep you updated on that relationship as it progresses. _

She paused, her mouth falling open. This guy had given her everything? No wonder she was able to stop working. She scrolled further back and came apon another article.

**_Rock Star and Producer to Wed Early Spring, Questions of father in pregnancy-_**

_Today, Jude Harrison announced her engagement to her producer Matthew James, dismissing all comments that her children were the result of their courtship. When asked who the father was, she denied it was him but said it was before they even started dating, giving no name for the father. This leads many to suspect whether-_

Audrey paused when she heard a knock on the door, shutting her laptop and crossing her arms, grabbing her notebook and pretending to write as her mom opened the door.

Was Tom Quincy her dad? Jude had always said it was someone from her past, but wouldn't tell them who. Matt had always been their dad, up until the divorce, when she'd told them the truth. Or some version of it. That before meeting Matt she'd met a cute guy one night at the bar, and they were the result. She'd been young, 18, and couldn't think of giving them up.

But was it the complete truth? Audrey was hell bent on figuring it out.

So, good? Anyone?

Let me know!


	3. Chapter 3

It was the third week he'd been staying with them. Jude had kept on extending their stay in New York, and Audrey had been noticing. She spent hardly any time with the girls, shutting herself in her room for hours on end with her guitar, something she hadn't done since she'd gotten divorced.

"Yeah, but Kat, why would he want me?" she asked Kat tiredly, running a hand through her hair, and staring at her reflection her overlarge cup of coffee, not pleased with what she saw.

"I can give you two reasons..."Kat responded, and Jude sighed, glancing out the window.

"He's distant as it is, Kat, I can't just expect him to find out about this and be happy...and the doctor told me it would shock him too much to tell him..."she said exhaustedly, playing with the small necklace around her neck.

"He's been asleep for so long that it doesn't suprise me, Jude..."Kat said honestly, as they glanced up at the farmilliar face.

"Jude...hey..."Jamie said, and slid into the booth next to her, glancing at her expectantly.

"I'm going home..."she said finally, a sigh escaping her lips.

"What?" they asked in unison.

"That contract I saw on Liam's desk last week, that was yours?" Jamie asked, and Jude nodded quickly.

"You're going to sing again?" Kat questioned, and Jude nodded.

"Have you told the girls?" Jamie pressed, and Jude massaged her temples.

"I haven't even told Tommy...he's so damned independant..."she complained, and Kat nodded understandingly.

"Well you need to...maybe even before your daughters..."Jamie pointed out, and Jude glanced at her phone, which was playing a farmilliar tune. She rolled her eyes, and ignored the call.

"Matt cares, Jude...I know that sounds stupid..."

"Once a cheater always a cheater...that's the philosophy my mother had and it's the mentality I'm taking..."she told him coldly, finishing off her coffee.

"I should go..."she added,"We should be back in time for school starting...I bought a house and already hired movers..."she said as an afterthought.

"Just...call us if you need anything..."Jamie said to her, and she nodded.

"I will...thanks for coming down..."she hugged them both tightly, and got up, turning to go.

When she got to Charity's, she opened the door, seeing Quincy sitting on couch, staring at the tv.

"Tommy?" she asked him, concerned, and he turned to face her, a small smile on his face.

"Everyone's out..."he remarked, as she took a seat next to him.

"Thank God it's actually quiet..."she remarked, and glanced over at him when she sensed he was looking at her.

"You're so different..."he said simply, and she shrugged.

"So are you..."she responded lightly, searching his eyes.

"You grew up..."he noted, tracing her cheek with his thumb, and she closed her eyes, blinking slowly.

"I had to..."she breathed, and leant against him, leaning her head on his chest.

"Are you okay? You seem stressed..."he asked her, and she glanced up at him.

"I'm moving back to Toronto..."she remarked,"Never thought I'd go back..but Darius..you know how he is...and they girls are almost in college, and singing again just might..."he cut her off.

"You're going back into the studio?" he asked her, shocked, and she nodded.

"I'm scared I've lost it...you know?" she confessed, and he lifted her chin.

"You're it...you know that...you always had something that everyone else tried to find but couldn't..."he told her.

"I want you to go to Toronto with me..."she told him, glancing down.

"Jude..."he started, and she stood up.

"Fine if you don't...that's fine...I just thought I'd tell you..."she said quickly, feeling sick from putting her heart back out and having him crush it. Apparently he'd gone back in time to the Tommy who knew Denial wasn't a river in Egypt.

"Jude don't..."

"I think you owe this to me..."she said suddenly, spinning around halfway through the living room, startling him, as he was chasing her.

"I owe you? This isn't a bet..."

"Yeah, this is my life...and all I want is for you to be a part of it before I lose you again!" Jude burst out, slamming her door and leaning against it, tears blurring her vision.

"I feel like I don't fit in, okay! And it doesn't have anything to do with you!" he yelled through the door, and she ignored him.

"You need to run away again, is that going to solve things?" Jude said before she could stop herself, and the memory he'd had before played rapidly in his head.

"Aren't you going to sit"

"I have to leave, I don't think I'll be coming back"

"Just sit down...talk to me..."

"Bye..."

"So that's it...you're just not coming back? Tommy? Tommy? TOMMY?"

he blinked, staring at her.

"What did I say to you...that night at the resteraunt?" he asked, and grew silent on the otherside of the door.

"It doesn't matter...just...leave me alone Tommy..."she said, and he sighed angrily.

"Jude it is! What the HELL did I say to you?" he yelled angrily, as the front door opened.

Neither of them noticed.

"You can't remember any of it...why does it matter to you...what matters is you don't want to come with me!" Jude yelled from behind the door.

Kia paused, her brow furrowed, listening.

"I'm scared! Can't you see that?" he yelled back, and she laughed bitterly.

"I'm sorry you're scared, Tommy...but how do you think I felt when you left me everything you owned?" she roared from behind the door, and Kia tried to inch closer.

"I don't even remember doing that..."Tommy said loudly.

"You don't remember alot of things!" Jude burst out. What was she doing? Just baiting him.

"Jude what are you trying to hide from me?" he asked gently, and she opened the door, staring at him.

"You really want to know?" she asked him softly, and he nodded.

"This..."she breathed, stepping forwards and kissing him before he had a chance to protest, suprised when he pushed her back against the wall, kissing her harshly, pinning her against it.

"Damn, mom..."Kia said under her breath, as she heard the noise of china breaking, and winced.

She made her way out of the door silently, closing it behind her. Apparently the mystery Tommy Q and her mother needed alone time. 


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry, sorry, sorry….

There's really not much more I can say on that subject…eek!



Just read it.

10 reviews and I'll post more. I have like…four more chapters already typed…

those of you on DLS already know that…lol

Jena

"What are you doing outside?" Audrey asked strangely, and Kia pointed to the door, making a disqusted face, turning off her Ipod.

"Mom and Tommy Q are working out their 'issues'..."she said in air quotes, and listened at the door. When Audrey reached for the knob, Kia shook her head.

"I heard things breaking earlier..."she noted, and Audrey stared at her in astonishment,"I would so not go in there if I was you..."

Audrey sank down the wall next to Kia, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Well I think it's safe to say she's over Matt..."Audrey said hopefully, and Kia nodded in afirmation, handing her one of the earphones on her Ipod, both of them leaning back to wait, eventually falling asleep.

Meanwhile, inside the bedroom Quincy had initially deemed his own apon moving in, they were laying in bed, panting softly, their arms wrapped around eachother.

"Well...I think it's safe to say we've never worked out our problems that way before..." he said quietly, leaning over to kiss her bare shoulder gently.

Jude stayed silent, staring at the wall in front of her, but leant further back into him, closing her eyes tightly and fighting back tears.

"You're being quiet...what's wrong?" he asked her, and she rolled over to face him, glancing anywhere but his eyes.

"This isn't the first time we've done this...you just...have selected memory..."she admitted softly, and he frowned.

"Jude..."he breathed, and she shrugged, trying to hold back tears.

"You left...you said you'd come back...and then...the accident happened..."she continued, her voice wavering.

"That night, at the resteraunt?" he asked her, perplexed, and she shook her head.

"Later...my 18th birthday party...you showed up..."she said softly.

"How long was I gone?"he asked her, lifting her chin.

_She was angry. As anyone would be at this point. She stared at him in defiance, crossing her arms in anger, as if daring him to try and explain his departure._

"Jude…"he said, shocked to see her there, she moved further into the room, and sat down on the first available chair she could, her eyes glaring daggers into him.

"I don't...almost 8 months? I'm not sure anymore...it all blended together after a while..."she admitted, sitting up,"maybe you should stay at a hotel...try and clear your head...I don't want to burden you with a past you can't remember...you're going to have to anyways...when we leave...when Charity graduates..."

"Who said I wouldnt' come with you?" he asked, his eyes searching hers.

"Tommy...what's the last thing you remember?" she asked him honestly, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Kissing you...in Darius' office...finishing the album?" he said vaugely, and she shook her head.

"This can't work..."she said softly, and got up, tensing as he grabbed her hand.

"Jude you need to tell me whatever it is...whatever happened..."he said softly, frowned, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration.

_"That's all you can say to me?" she asked, and he massaged his cheek angrily, staring at her in shock._

"Hello to you to…"he said, wincing.

"It's NOT the same as you remembering it, Tommy...it's not the same at all and if you can't see that..."she said softly.

_"I deserve to be able to hit you…I hate you…"she breathed angrily,"What gives you the right to show up like this…it's my birthday…"she whispered, "And I have to walk out there any second and pretend that nothing is wrong! You're such a jack…"he pulled her into a kiss, and she leant into it, her arms wrapping around his neck._

He winced, and she put a hand on his forehead.

"You're burning up..." she said, concerned.

"Well I'm pretty sure what we just did constitutes as..." he whispered, trying to stay awake closed his eyes, and she freaked out.

"Tommy? Tommy, oh my god!" she breathed, sitting on his chest and glancing around her, searching for his cellphone. She finally found it, and dialed 911, her breath shaky.

"My...friend...he passed out...he won't wake up and I don't..."she said, tears streaming down his face, watching his face grow paler by the second. Something was wrong. Really wrong.

_"I had to tie up loose ends down there before I could come up here to see you…"he said honestly,"I wanted to see Sarah before she…"he couldn't go on, and Jude nodded, hugging him tightly._

"I understand.."She said softly, pulling back and glancing at him, tracing his cheekbones with her fingers.

"Jude I'm so sorry it had to happen this way…I never meant to hurt you…the last thing I wanted to do was leave you here…"he said quietly, and kissed her cheek. She moved my lips at the last minute, catching his in a soft kiss.

"You're making it really hard to hate you…"she had told him, kissing across his jawline,"Are you going to deny this?" she'd added, and he shook his head.

"Not a chance in hell…"he breathed, and leant back into her, kissing her again, rotating them so he was ontop of her on the couch, his arms on either side of her head.

When the paramedics showed up, Kia and Audrey glanced at them in shock, worry crossing their faces.

"Do any of you know what's going on in there?" one of them asked, and Kia unlocked the door. It was dealthly quiet, all they could hear was crying.

"Mom?" Audrey asked, and found them in his bedroom, Jude dressed and Tommy in pajama pants with no shirt on, her head on his chest.

"Mom...mom you have to let him go with them..."Kia said softly, as Jude held onto his hand.

"We were fighting, and then he passed out...what if I did it..what if I killed him?"she sobbed, letting her head fall onto Audrey's shoulder.

"You need to call Sadie and Kwest, okay?" she told Kia, who nodded silently, escaping the room.

"Mom..."Audrey said, and she shook her head.

"Mom I need to know..."she added,"I've been reading about it...I see the way he looks at you...the way you look at him..."

"You were right..."Jude admitted hoarsely, staring at her for a reaction.

"Oh...Mom..."Audrey whispered, staring at what she now knew was her father being carried off on a stretcher.

"He can't know...you know how much that would kill him?"she asked her softly, turning to face her.

"Mom he's my dad..."Audrey said back, tears pricking at the back of her eyes.

"Don't tell Kia either...I just...I need to find the right time..."she told her, as Kia re-entered the room.

"Mom they'll meet us at the hospital...you ready?" they nodded, and locked the door, turning off the lights in the apartment, which was now more eerily silent then before.

When they got there, Jude practically ran up to the desk, still, although she was dressed, looking like she'd come from a three hour romp.

"Can I help you?" the nurse asked, annoyed.

"I'm here to see Tommy Quincy..."she said quickly, and the nurse frowned.

"Mr. Quincy isn't allowed guests..."

"I'm Jude Harrison, I'm the exec-" the girl glanced up in shock.

"You're Jude Harrison...oh my God I loved your music..."she gushed, and Audrey rolled her eyes.

"We're more interested in Tom right now, if that's alright..."she said, and Jude stared at her, impressed.

"He's in the ICU...second floor...I'll page Doctor Jackson and he'll meet you at the nurses station..."the nurse said, still star struck, and they took the elevator, Kia glancing around her.

"Should I go try and find Kwest and Sadie?" she asked them, and they nodded.

"Ms. Harrison?" Jude's head whipped around to stare at the man in a white lab coat, who was coming towards her, a foreboding look on his face.

"Hi...how is he?" she asked softly, and he glanced at her appearance.

"Mr. Quincy has a blood clot in his brain.."she felt the blood draining from her face, and dimly heard him say that surgery would be required if there was even a chance he would ever wake up again. 

This couldn't be happening. She felt herself agreeing, and being told that she could see him for five minutes before the surgery began.

And then she was in front of him. He was in a bed, the ventilator keeping him breathing, and her heart broke.

"Hi..."she said brokenly, laying her head on his stomach, her arms around his waist.

She was like that when Sadie peeked her head around the door five minutes later, crying silently into his hospital gown. 

"Oh, honey..."she breathed, and crouched down next to him.

"Excuse me...I need to see Thomas he is my son..." a stern voice said, and Jude spun around, her eyes hard.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

And the verdict is?


	5. Chapter 5

Stopwatch-Next part-

Jena Rink

I don't own don't sue and I'm sorry I'm evil! 

"What are you doing here?" I said again, wiping tears from my eyes, and she stared at me critically. Tommy had been taken into surgery, and was in the midst of it. She brushed herself and scrutinized me.

"Good to see my cradle robbing son's ex-girlfriend is still happy he left her all his money..."Sarah remarked, crossing his arms.

"Sarah, I think you should leave..."Kwest said quickly, coming in the room, and she stared at him in aggravation.

"No...you know...maybe she should meet her grandchildren...since she's here..."I said, exhasperated, and she stared at me in shock. It seemed everyone in the waiting room had stopped talking. Why had I said that in front of everyone? Why why why. Kwest was staring at me in astonishment, and I shrugged, my eyes meeting his for the first time since I'd left after the divorce.

"Excuse me?" Kwest asked, completely shocked, and I dimly felt Audrey chase after Kia, who had run from the room.

"His daughters...my daughters...now would you stop giving me such a hard time? Because I've spent the last seventeen years raising a family by myself..."I said, my voice breaking, and felt Sadie's arms close around me.

"I fail to see how this changes things..."she said, and I stared at her in shock.

"It makes them at least, some part of your family...don't you even want to meet..."

"Well they seemed to run away at the thought of being in my family..."she said finally,"Does Thomas know?"

"The doctors told me not to tell him at first...said it'd be too much of a shock..."I said, and Charity got up, squeezing my hand.

"Miss Harrison?" I got up, following the doctor down the hallway.

"He's stable...he's actually asking for you..."the doctor didn't get any further before I ran down the hallway into his room. He looked like crap.

"Hey..."I said shakily, and he glanced at me in concern.

"commere..."he said softly, and I nodded, sitting next to him on the bed, our eyes locking.

"Are you okay?" I asked him softly, before my voice broke. I stared crying, laying my head on his chest.

"I'll be fine...Jude..."he whispered, leaning down to kiss the top of my head,"I won't leave you...I promise...not like last time..."he said, and my eyes widened.

"What?"I whispered, turning to stare up at him, my eyes confused. Iwouldn't believe it. I just couldn't. Not after everything that had happened.

"Do you think everyone else should know? Are they all out there? Because there's no going back after this..."his words were hauntingly farmilliar, and I threw myself into him, sobbing.

"You remember?"I asked on a half whisper, and he kissed the top of my head.

"I remember...but you need to remember that i just got out of surgery, girl..."he breathed, and I slid off of him, settling for holding his hand.

"You're mom's here?"

"ma mere?" he asked, confused, and she appeared in the doorway.

"Thomas, it's good to see you're awake..."she said civilly, and he glanced down at me.

"Jude..."

"Before you talk to her...there's something you need to know...okay?"I said softly, and he nodded, concerned.

Please don't hate me Tommy...Please don't hate me...

(and don't hate ME for leaving it here! hahahhah)  
I'll post more soon, promise!


	6. Chapter 6

Stopwatch  
Jena Rink  
Time  
Sorry about the lapse in updating!

"Can't you tell him later?" Sarah asked from the doorway, stepping further into the room, and I took a deep breath. I had to say this now, before she poisoned my words and got Tommy to hate me. Which was obviously the last thing I wanted.

"No, because you'll tell him first..."I told her softly, and she scoffed. Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Jude...try and be nice to her..." he told me, and I shot him a look of indignation.

"Be nice to her?" I said softly,"The first time she met me she called me a homewrecking whore...said you would have stayed in Montana and helped with the family if it weren't for me!" I burst out, annoyed.

"Thomas listen to her...I can't believe you were in love with her..."Sarah started, and I shook my head, sick of it.

"Jude..."Tommy started, and I glanced at him, tears filling my eyes.

"If you don't want to hear it then I won't be the one to tell you..."I said softly, walking towards the door. I stopped at the sight of Kia and Audrey, both of whom were staring at Tommy, perplexed.

"What's going on, Mom?" Audrey asked, and I shook my head, grabbing their hands.

"He doesn't want to listen, so I won't tell him..."I told her, my voice wavering.

"No...he needs to know this..."Audrey said softly, glancing over my shoudler at him.

"Is this something that everyone knows but me?" he said angrily, and I put my head in my hands, leaning against the wall, shielding my eyes from the harsh lighting.

"Mom...just...try and relax...would you...I'll make it simple..."Audrey said, kneeling in front of me.

"When did you grow up?" I asked her softly, and she shrugged, turning around to face her father, tears filling her eyes.

"Can you give us a few minutes Grandmere?" she asked her, and Sarah stared at her in shock. Tommy didn't register it at first, and then his eyes widened. I stared at the scene from between my fingers, as if I was watching a horror movie unfold. I had no idea how he was going to react to this.

"I suppose..."she grumbled, and left the room, Audrey staring at Tommy.

"The night Matt left we found out he wasn't our dad..."Audrey started, sitting down on the edge of Tommy's bed, staring at her hands.

_"I was a marriage of necessity to you Jude! You were pregnant! And I know those aren't my children! I know they aren't!" he screamed, and Audrey and Kia peered over the banister._

"I loved you...at some point I loved you...at this point I'm not so sure why anymore...but I still...and you cheated! You've had another life going for the past five years?!" she burst out, and Audrey winced, putting her hands over Kia's ears. She'd always been the most mature of the two.

"Your mind's on him...the father they could never have!" Matt screamed at her, and she slapped him.

"How dare you...do you have any idea how much I've had to grow up since..."

"I left her, you know that..."

"It isn't about that you left her, Matthew! It's that you had her! That you somehow failed to realise the vows we took the day we were married...that whether or not Kia and Audrey were your children, they were mine..."she had said, tears blurring her vision,"We're leaving..."

"Jude...stop...we can talk this out..."she snorted.

"I'm going to be gone in an hour, with the girls...don't come after me..."she said in a low tone, running up the stairs, her gaze stalling at the sight of them, holding hands and staring at her guiltily.

"Girls, pack as much as you can..."she told them softly, her voice shaking, and she winced as the door slammed, sliding down the railing at the top of the stairs, sobs wracking her body.

"I told them it was just some guy...you weren't...the doctors had been begging me to cut the cord on you for years...but Charity was close enough to keep an eye on you...and I just couldn't do it..." I interupted, and he stared blankly ahead of him, trying to process the information.

"I don't know how to handle this right now.."he said simply, and I got up.

"You don't know how to handle this?" I asked him incredulously, and Audrey cleared her throat. I ignored her.

"I need to think things over..."he added softly, and I fought back the tears.

"God...the doctor was right...he said you'd abandon me...and he was fucking right.."

"Just a few months..."he started, and I shook my head.

"You promised you wouldn't leave me, and now you're doing it!" I burst out, covering my mouth and trying not to cry.

"Mom...let's get you out of here, okay?" Kia said softly, helping me up, her arm around my shoudlers. She wouldn't look at Tommy.

"Dad?" Audrey asked, her voice shaking, and he turned to stare at her.

"Audrey, do you really think..."she threw herself at him, crying, and I heard it from the doorway, biting my lip as the tears rolled down my cheeks.

"I don't think I can do this..."I breathed, sitting in the Cafeteria minutes later, a fresh cup of coffee in front of me.

"You don't have a choice...it's a lot to take in...he'll come around..." Sadie said gently, squeezing my hands from across the table, her face concerned.

He would come around eventually. And I had a feeling that Audrey would be the start of that. She was probably still in his room.

"I'm sorry...we didn't know either..." Audrey said finally, pulling away to stare at him. He was staring at her in wonder.

"You have my eyes..."he noticed softly, tracing her face, and they pulled apart when someone cleared their throat in the doorway.

"Ma Mere, could you please just go-" Tommy started, and Audrey glanced at the man standing in the doorway, her eyes narrowed.

"Matt, what are you doing here?"

so? good?


	7. Chapter 7

Not even going to go into apologizing

Stopwatch-updated 11/24

I don't own Instant Star-

"Matt..."Tommy said simply, and Aubrey frowned as Kia came in after him, looking out of breath.

"I tried to stop..."she started, and Aubrey put a hand up.

"You two know eachother?" Aubrey asked them, and Tommy shrugged.

"I knew him before I went to work at GMajor..."Tommy explained, his eyes narrowed. 

"So he's your father, then?" Matt questioned,"This was the man that my ex-wife was whoring around with before she met me..."

"I swear to God Matt, if you don't get out of here, I'll kick your ass..."Tommy growled, moving to stand up.

"Dad, he's not worth it..."Aubrey told him, meeting his eyes, and he nodded, agreeing with her.

"Definetly not..."Kia agreed, coming over to the other side of the bed, glaring at Matt.

"Where's your mother?" Matt asked, and Tommy glanced at the sheets.

"Away from you...thank God..."Aubrey commented, and Matt took a step towards her.

"Aubrey, I'm warning you..."Matt said, and she winced. It all seemed to click in Tommy's mind, and Audrey had to hold him down.

"Dad...stop..."she breathed, and he shook his head.

"He hit you, didn't he?" he asked her, and Aubrey shrugged, looking anywhere but his eyes.

"I'm fine..."she breathed, and he shook his head, seeing the tears in her eyes.

"Aubrey you're just like your mother I know you're not fine..."he said, and hugged her tightly, rubbing her back as she cried.

"She just wanted us to have a dad, you know?" Kia told Tommy, and he stroked Aubrey's hair.

"I know Kia..."he said softly, and Matt laughed.

"That really is touching...thinking you can suddenly be their father...I was the one in their life..." Jude cut him off, standing in the doorway.

"You made our lives hell, Matt..."Jude said shakily, glancing between the two of them, and she winced when he grabbed her wrist.

"I need to talk to you..."he said harshly, and she tried to yank free of him, but he held on to her.

"Mom...don't listen to him, okay?" Aubrey said softly, pulling away from Tommy.

"Get out of this hospital...I don't think we've been through this enough times, Matthew...but I never want to see you again..."Jude said slowly, her voice shaking, and he let go of her hand.

"Darius wants me to produce you again..." he said softly, and she flinched.

"Over my dead body..."Tommy interjected, and Matt turned to face him again.

"You were pretty close for a while there, Quincy...I'm sure that could be arranged..."Matt said, and before they knew what was happening, Jude had punched him in the nose.

"You broke my fucking nose!" he roared, and she blinked.

"Wanna see what else I had to learn having an abusive husband, Matt?" she said, her voice dangerously low, and he glanced at the room.

"I hope you're happy..."he said under his breath, and she slapped him.

"Get, out..." she whispered, and he cursed, closing the door behind him.

"Are you okay?" Aubrey asked her, getting off the bed.

"I think I broke my hand..but I feel better than I have in a long time..." she said honestly, as the door opened.

"Everything okay in here? Matt just ran out with a bloody nose..." Sadie said, poking her head in the door.

"Everything's fine, Aunt Sadie..." Aubrey said softly.

"I think I need a hand X-ray..."Jude said simply, following her out the door.

Which left Kia and Aubrey alone with Tommy.

"You're not going to leave us again are you?" Kia asked Tommy suddenly, and he stared at his two daughters.

"No...I'll come to Toronto with you..."he said finally, and they frowned.

"We're moving home?" they asked together, and he winced.

Apparently Jude hadn't told them yet.


End file.
